So my party affiliation is not based upon just being a "part" of a group or organization, but one based upon that who believes more like I do...Its basically that simple...
That is an honest approach to the democratic party system. But, I don't believe it can compete, in the long run, with a more aggressive and disciplined approach to party politics. What gives power in democracy is large groups or organizations. Or, more importantly, great and terrible ideas that attract the masses. Against which individuals (a term which means after all only the smallest division of a larger group) struggle in vain.
I'm not enthusiastic about constitutional monarchy either because of the tendency (as Plato observed) for governments and societies to degrade over time. Thus it will probably lead to popular republicanism eventually anyway.
I should say rather that I'm suspicious of democracy even as a mere means of government. Usually it becomes a 'means' to and end; that end being not good government but idealistic pseudo-religious democracy, which is really just egotistic nostraism. The Founding Fathers for example were generally suspicious of democracy, which is why they engineered all kinds of checks and balances into it. To them it was just a means to an end.
"Ideological Democracy" of course I absolutely detest as inherently amoral and unchristian. It is the belief, not that the majority is always right, but rather that it IS right because it IS the majority. It is essentially 'might makes right' expressed as a numbers game.
But there is no escape from these ideological implications because you frequently have to invoke the ideology in order to gain political strength, even if your goals are purely democratic methodology and not messianic majoritarianism.
I agree, I do believe my phylosophy cannot compete in this form either...
But for the term democracy, I would like to point out that it is not this form of government, it is a representative republic...
And with all you have stated very well, I do believe that government should be cyclic in nature...It will have its highs and lows depending on where you stand phylisophically, right???
Right now the conservative movement, how ever brief it was in the majority is now heading down to an low ebb in the political tide...The liberal freakshow is now on the rise...
So...What do we do??? We do what we've always done...Whine and moan, and hope that a new crop of fodder is presented to us that doesn't insult our political intelligence...We went for just a bit too long holding our noses when we pulled the lever, or tapped the screen, or spun the wheel this last election...
Time to regroup, make our moves politically, and get ready for another trouncing in '08...Hopefully not too much of a trouncing...To which there are going to be some well predicted surprises in '08, which will benefit the other side of the coin again that time...
Sorry for being the soothsayer of ill, but in reality I am hoping I am wrong...I really do...
The only thing that seems to energize and get a collective movement in the "conservative" ideology in this country seems to be...
Do we really want another Clinton in office???
Just like the other side said at one time, do we want another Bush in office???
Almost a ying and yang feel to it!
I really believe that it will barely be solved by 2010 or 2012 for the conservative movement in this country, and one that I am always hoping I am wrong that no country aligned with us is hit hard by any terroristic threat thinking they are free to roam while liberal politics is in power...
Thats pretty much my bottom line...
Thanks BarbaricGranduer for helping me get my silly head on straight...I may still need some work, but hopefully I am heading in the right direction!!!